Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, January 31, 2013. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
30 Rock (NBC, 8 p.m.): The show tied up most of its narrative threads last week, leaving its one-hour finale to meditate on how it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday—and maybe eke a few, final laughs out of The Rural Juror. How hard is it to say goodbye to 30 Rock? In our down time, we’re hastily slapping together an “eighth season” of the series just so Pilot Viruet doesn’t have to live in a world without Liz Lemon.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.): CBS kept its Thursday-night lineup in reruns for two weeks, presumably so it could bury the 30 Rock finale in an avalanche of viewers jonesin’ for new Big Bang Theory and Two And A Half Men. Oliver Sava thinks that’s some dirty pool, but then again, he’ll have to miss TGS’ final hour in order to review “The Cooper/Kripke Inversion.”
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8 p.m.): Your What’s On Tonight correspondent was going to get into the plot details of “A View To A Kill,” but then he got Duran Duran’s A View To A Kill theme stuck in his head, and now all he can do is DANCE! [Synthesizer hit.] INTO THE FIRE! Carrie Raisler brings you the fatal sounds of broken dreams.
The Office (NBC, 9 p.m.): In the first half of tonight’s Office doubleheader, Dwight rounds up candidates—including Mose!—to fill in for Jim at Dunder-Mifflin. In the second half, Erik Adams wonders whether or not that first half is the reconstituted backdoor pilot for The Farm.
Person Of Interest (CBS, 9 p.m.): If you’ve been reluctant (because CBS procedural) to sample this show (because CBS procedural), perhaps an episode based around a “destructive act of cyber warfare” (because CBS procedural) might change your mind. And if that doesn’t, then Phil Dyess-Nugent just doesn’t know what will.
Glee (Fox, 9 p.m.): The episode’s called “Naked,” and it’s about both a calendar-based fundraising effort and a performance opportunity that puts Rachel in a compromising position—so, yes, it would appear Ryan Murphy already misses having American Horror Story around for his button- and envelope-pushing needs. Brandon Nowalk just hopes it gives New Directions an excuse to cover Jennifer Love Hewitt’s curiously capitalized smash hit, “BareNaked.”